FURIOUS relatives of British soldiers murdered by the IRA last night blamed the Government for "political expediency that only cares about one set of victims".

As Northern Ireland spends millions of pounds preparing to prosecute British soldiers for alleged crimes, families of soldiers killed in an IRA terror blast in London said they had to take the Legal Aid Agency to court to get funds for their fight for justice. Just one veteran has been charged over Bloody Sunday, but more could be soon, lawyers warn. Eleven members of the Blues and Royals and Royal Green Jackets died in IRA bomb blasts in Hyde and Regents Parks in 1982.

He said that they had all lost hope until 2013 when police said they would charge Downey. "Finally, we thought, we had a chance for justice.Then...the on the run letter was produced and I realised he would get off. He had a get out of jail free card."

Matthew Jury of McCue & Partners, representing the families, said: "Look at the statistics: 90 per cent of killings were carried out by terrorist organisations - loyalist or republican - and were by definition all unlawful. Only 10 per cent were carried out by military.The majority were lawful.

"Political expediency has meant the Government is paying more attention on one group of victims than another.

"The purpose of the civil claim is not compensation, it's vindication. The objective of the families is to uncover the truth and finally have closure."